After choking his opponent to submission, Alex Preissing climbed on top of the cage. Rather than flexing his muscles with his hands raised toward the crowd, he pounded an imaginary gavel, an homage to his double life. Preissing is not just a professional MMA fighter; he is also a practicing attorney. When he stepped into the cage at RUF, he became the first American to do both at the same time.
It took just two minutes and 15 seconds for Preissing to secure a D’Arce choke and defeat Shawn Winland in his professional debut. The former Ringside Unified Fighting Amateur Flyweight Champion returned to RUF MMA at Celebrity Theatre to open a new chapter in his fighting career.
For most, a first-round finish in front of thousands of people would mark the pinnacle of achievement. For Preissing, it was simply another step toward a greater goal, becoming “the most educated fighter in UFC history”, a nickname that partners with his slogan, “beating faces and cases.”
(Alex Preissing smokes in celebration of his victory at RUF 65)(Photo: Joel Arroyo/ Grappling Reels)
Preissing achieved the first half of his goal a month earlier. After graduating from Arizona State’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law in May, he balanced training with studying for the bar exam. He passed the bar exam in September, earning him the title of attorney.
Being a lawyer and fighter was not always Preissing’s dream. It seemed impossibly distant from where he was just a few years ago. After growing up wrestling, he left athletics behind to study at the University of Indiana, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. Despite the academic success, Preissing began to lose his spark for the sport that shaped him. fell down a dark path.
“I wrestled my whole life,” Preissing said. “I kind of fell out of love with it. I kind of started partying too much, my life went downhill. Got way out of shape, living a horrible life.”
Soon after, the worst happened. Preissing’s mother passed away in 2021. Desperate to get his life back on track, he threw himself into practicing mixed martial arts.
“I was kind of in an identity crisis when she passed away,” Preissing said. “I was clinging to a version of myself that she was proud of, that was the wrestler version of me. And I didn’t expect it to get to where it is today.”
After joining jiujitsu and mma classes, Preissing said he saw his talent and fell back in love with martial arts. That’s when the dream was born. He committed himself to the path, applying to a dozen colleges before deciding on ASU because a dean guaranteed he could build a schedule accepting of his busy MMA career.
He also chose to become a Sun Devil because of Phoenix’s strong martial arts presence. The city is home to Olympic champion wrestlers, world champion boxers, and dozens of UFC fighters.
Preissing began training at Fight Ready MMA, where former UFC champions Henry Cejudo and Zhang Welli often train. He quickly earned a 4-1 amateur record in just three years. Despite the success, he said the coaches did not believe in him or his goals. After his first most recent win, Preissing made sure to recognize the doubters.
“My old coach, Eddie Cha,” Preissing said. “He’s the head coach at Fight Ready [MMA]. He told me from the day I started fighting that I’m never gonna be a fighter and a lawyer. Idiot for trying. I’m gonna sell my soul when job offers come in. My professional record’s perfect and my bar number is active. Eddie Cha never fought a day in his life, but he’s a snake. He can suck on these.”
It wasn’t just his law career that Cha didn’t support, Preissing said the top coaches would not corner his fights because he wasn’t paying enough. On the night he earned the RUF Amateur Flyweight Title, he was shocked to see UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and Red Hawk Academy head coach Tim Welch cornering all of their fighters, even the amateurs.
Soon after, Preissing switched gyms. The team at Red Hawk appreciated his story and embraced him immediately.
“My first impression was, hard working kid,” Welch said. “Not many people can go to school full time and do good at school and train to be a professional fighter. Most people can’t do one or the other and he’s doing both. Automatically I knew the kid had a great work ethic and I really liked his attitude.”
For his last two fights, Preissing was cornered by O’Malley, Welch and former Ohio State wrestler Mark Martin. Welch says his humility is rare and makes coaching him easier.
“He’s very coachable,” Welch said. “He’s listening to you corner. A lot of fighters, the fight is so hectic and they’re not really listening and they’re just trying to catch their breath. But, he’s all there, he’s listening, he’s taking what we’re telling him. He’s a very good fighter.”
There’s more to a gym than the coaching on fight night. The level of talent in the gym was another drawing factor for Preissing. The training partners at Red Hawk are world-class. O’Malley, Tommy McMillen, and Ezra Elliot are all mma sensations near the best in the world at their weight classes. Just like Welch, O’Malley is impressed by Preissing’s abilities.
“The dude is smart as hell,” O’Malley said. “Works, comes to the gym, trains full time. He’s very skilled and he’s got a bright future.”
Preissing’s ability to balance both worlds impresses O’Malley as much as anyone else.
“That’s crazy. I can fucking hardly spell lawyer, and he’s out there doing it.”
Unlike most professional sports, where the teams are responsible for the athlete’s marketing, in MMA, the burden of promotion falls almost entirely on the fighter.
“The biggest fighters aren’t always the best,” Preissing said. “They are very good, but the biggest fighters are the ones that are great fighters and great personalities, great brands. That’s why you see guys like in our gym popping off, Suga, fuckin’ Tommy McMillen. They’re amazing fighters, but people are just drawn to them as people, too, their personalities, their mixtapes, their streaming videos. People love the person, and that’s what makes them such great fighters and such great brands, and I’m trying to be like that.”
O’Malley has nearly five million followers on Instagram. McMillen had 35 thousand before ever fighting in the UFC. They use exciting fight styles balanced with unfaltering confidence associated with only the best fighters. That confidence is replicated by another group, high-level lawyers. Preissing believes he belongs to both groups and had no doubts when predicting the outcome of his fight a week before it took place.
“I’m just gonna try to smash you,” Preissing said. “I’m gonna lock my hands around you, and I am not gonna unlock my hands until I submit you. That’s it, hands are locked, game over. I take you back, game over. I’m just a pressure grappler, I am gonna drown you, I’m gonna bring you to deep waters, and then I’m gonna choke you. That’s how it’s gonna happen.”
(Preissing and Winland face off after weigh-ins)(Photo: Joel Arroyo/ Grappling Reels)
Preissing was right, taking his opponent, Shawn Winland, down once and never letting him up. That type of confidence and execution is important for any lawyer, but essential for post-convictionpost conviction relief attorneys. They defend convicted people who are often sentenced to life in prison or even the death penalty.
In his job at the Arizona Justice Project, he works to exonerate innocent prisoners in cases of wrongful imprisonment and correct cases of manifest injustice, like excessive punishment or other forms of unfair treatment.
The traits one of Preissing’s bosses said are essential for his job are similar to those of a fighter.
“Dedication and charisma,” Erin Murphy said. “A fire in your belly. You got to know that you might lose.”
That fire has burned inside Preissing since he was young. He said police were at his house often growing up. He resented police misconduct and always looked for a way to fight for the little guy.
He carried that passion into law school and eventually his job at the Arizona Justice Project.
“I knew I was gonna work at this place before I even went to law school,” Preissing said. “I applied for one job the entire time I was there at law school, Arizona Justice Project, and I have not left.”
After interning for the nonprofit during law school, Preissing became a Larry Hammond Justice Fellow, a one-year fellowship where he assists on cases.
Executive director Lindsay Herf says his creativity and determination are most helpful.
“It’s hard work and it’s an uphill climb on each of our cases. You know, a lot of times people will intern and say, That’s not me. So having Alex be passionate about this work and be dedicated to it, I think, makes all the difference.”
The work is difficult and in a field that Herf says some don’t fully understand.
“I think there’s a conception that there has been an innocent person, like one, and the system gets it right all the time,” Herf said. “That doesn’t happen because any system operated by humans is going to make mistakes. We’re all fallible in that area, even when we try our best to get it right.
Murphy said that Preissing’s empathy is as important as his skills.
“I think Alex is able to understand people that are going through struggles that he clearly has not,” Murphy said.
(Red Hawk and AZ Justice Project meet up. Left to right: Sean O’Malley, Lindsay Herf, Alex Preissing, Erin Murphy, and Tim Welch)(Photo: Joel Arroyo/ Grappling Reels)
Because their work changes the course of people’s lives, members of the Arizona Justice Project have to be creative and knowledgeable. Alex has been praised in both those departments, but some could worry that fighting could affect his mental capabilities. A study from the Medical University of Warsaw (Poland) found that male UFC flyweights receive nearly seven significant head strikes per minute.
Preissing has considered this and says his fighting style protects him. Rather than exchanging strikes with his opponents, he quickly looks for the takedown and submission. He said he has been hit just five times across his six amateur fights. Even if he were to take damage, Preissing isn’t worried.
“I’m wicked smart,” Preissing said. “Even if I absorb some head blows and have some trauma, I’m still gonna be better than your average lawyer. I’m still gonna be better than a good lawyer, because I am that dude. I am a fighter. I work my ass off. I am smart as hell.”
Preissing’s confident words are backed by countless hours of hard work. He’s spent the last four years building himself into a role no American has ever. Victory in his professional debut was a major step towards his incredible goal.
“You can do anything you put your mind to,” Preissing said. “Don’t let the haters stop you, don’t let the doubters stop you. I’ve had this dream for a handful of years. Everyone is telling me I’m crazy, I’m an idiot, I’m stupid, it’s never gonna happen. Just keep working hard every single day, day in and day out. My day starts at 6:30 in the morning and ends at 8 pm every single day. I’m in the gym three to four hours a day, I’m in the office eight hours a day. Do not stop grinding. Do not stop working. If you work hard, results will come.”
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